The White House denied on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump was considering removing Kash Patel as FBI director, as MS NOW reported.
MS NOW, citing three unidentified people with knowledge of the situation, reported online that Trump and his top aides had grown increasingly frustrated by the unflattering headlines Patel has generated.
They have confided to allies that the president is weighing removing Patel and considering Andrew Bailey, a top FBI official, as his replacement, according to MS NOW, formerly MSNBC.
White House calls firing rumors 'completely made up'
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on X that the story was "completely made up" and posted a photo of Trump and Patel that she said was taken in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Leavitt said Trump and Patel were in a meeting when the report was published, and the president reacted to it by laughing and saying, "What? That’s totally false. Come on, Kash, let’s take a picture to show them you’re doing a great job!”
A spokesperson for MS NOW said the news organization stands behind its reporting.
Donald Trump offered support to FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday, following news outlet MS NOW's report that the Republican leader was considering removing Patel from his current role.
When asked about the report, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Patel was doing a "great job."